What kind of society do we want to live in?

Germany is characterized by a broad basis of shared values. The overwhelming majority of the population wants to live in a society that safeguards free and democratic fundamental rights and values. This is one of the major findings of the »Deutschland-Monitor« (Germany Monitor) for 2024, co-published by the Institute of Political Science at the University of Jena. However, this annual scientific study of political attitudes and societal sentiment in Germany also shows that many people—in both eastern and western Germany—are unsatisfied with how democracy is functioning at present.

By Marco Körner & Axel Burchardt

»What kind of society do we want to live in?« is the main topic of the »Deutschland-Monitor« 2024. What values are shared within our society? Is there still a broad consensus in favour of constitutionally enshrined fundamental rights, notions of social coexistence and democratic structures? Can attitudes to the contrary be explained by specific characteristics of individual respondents? Or could they be traced back to different regional contexts? These are just a few of many questions that connect this year’s research focus with the long-term catalogue of questions posed by the »Deutschland-Monitor«.

Broad endorsement of democracy and the Basic Law

The »Deutschland-Monitor« for 2024 identified a broad basis of shared values. The overwhelming majority of the population, both in eastern and western Germany, wants to live in a society in which free and democratic fundamental rights and values are guaranteed. There is less consensus, however, as to whether certain civil liberties—such as freedom of the press and freedom of expression—are upheld in practice. Respondents who do not consider these rights to be fulfilled are often less satisfied with the current state of democracy and have less trust in political institutions.

There is broad support for democracy as a political system in general, with 98% of those surveyed in favour. Furthermore, a large majority (80%) approve of Germany’s Basic Law as a constitutional framework.

Critical views in structurally weak regions

There is greater disagreement, however, regarding the current functioning of democracy. While 64% of respondents in western Germany are satisfied with the current state of democracy in Germany, the figure for eastern German respondents stands at a mere 48%.

Attitudes critical of the state of politics are more widespread in structurally weak regions than in structurally stronger regions of Germany. »In cases where people feel they are not getting their fair share, or fear losing their status, their support for the political system and its main actors also suffers. This takes forms including lower satisfaction with democracy, little trust in institutions and populist attitudes,« says Prof. Dr Marion Reiser, a political scientist at the University of Jena and the director of the »Deutschland-Monitor«.

High expectations of the welfare state

Citizens in both eastern and western Germany have high expectations of the welfare state. Around three-quarters of all respondents said they expected the state to provide protection against major risks in life. In this regard, attitudes in western Germany have adapted to such an extent that the previous East-West difference has now been equalized.

Overall, Germany lacks a sense of unity (»Wir-Gefühl«) at present: only one in three respondents say they have confidence in others. Only one-quarter of respondents believe that German citizens support each other. Less than one in eight have a positive view of social cohesion. This poor assessment of German society as a whole stands in stark contrast to respondents’ perception of social cohesion in their local area, which is assessed far more positively. The authors of the »Deutschland-Monitor« study note that respondents’ positive experience of their local area offers an important resource for the wider community. 

East-West differences fading

When it comes to controversial issues, such as climate protection and migration, negative attitudes are more prevalent in eastern than western Germany. However, researchers mainly identified East-West differences between older people who were born and socialized during Germany’s partition into the GDR and BRD. By contrast, the majority of younger people who have grown up in a reunified country, whether in eastern or western Germany, share similar views of society.

This finding, combined with the correlation between views in structurally strong districts of eastern Germany and structurally weak districts of western Germany, can be interpreted as an indication that the assumption of an East-West divide in general no longer fully corresponds to reality.

Background to the study

The »Deutschland-Monitor« is a study of political attitudes and social sentiment in Germany conducted by a consortium of scientists from the Zentrum für Sozialforschung Halle (ZSH), the Institute of Political Science at the University of Jena and the GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences in Mannheim.

The study adopts a methodologically innovative dual sampling approach in an effort to capture the regional diversity within the Federal Republic of Germany. The first sample of roughly 4,000 respondents represents the population aged 16 and older in Germany. The second is a regional sample of selected structurally strong and structurally weak urban and rural districts in eastern and western Germany, with a further 4,000 respondents selected to provide a representative base. The study’s unique design allows the researchers to investigate and compare developments at both national and regional levels. In addition, the study features qualitative focus group-based interviews to provide further insights into the standardized surveys.